10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,333 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1998 Volkswagen Passat seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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1998 Volkswagen Passat Owner Comments

problem #3

Oct 152004

Passat 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1. early on braking (intermittent) and now always at engine startup 2. the ABS brake comes on solid, the brake light flashes, and three beeps on engine startup. This indicates that the ABS braking system has failed. And indeed I currently have no ABS, although the brakes work, and the car cannot pass DC inspection because of the warining lights on the dashboard. 3. I have attempted to diagnose the problem by running the vag-com diagnostics on it. Vag-com cannot communicate with the ABS control module which indicates the ABS control module must be replaced. I am currently in pursuit of a used replacement part or a rebuild of the current module due to the high price of this part from VW and the fact that it has not been recalled. I have also submitted a complaint to VW of America.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #2

Jun 162003

Passat

  • miles
While driving at 35 mph driver side side impact air bag deployed. The vehicle was not involved in a crash. The consumer contacted the manufacturer.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #1

Mar 162001

Passat

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
At 70 mph side air bags went off. Car filled with smoke swerved off road. Consumer contacted Volkswagen which was looking into the problem. The manufacturer was unwilling neither to investigate the cause nor to fix the deployed air bag.

- Los Gatos, CA, USA

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